Investigators say the woman was driving a 2001 Mercury 4-door sedan and traveling north on Route 130 when she crossed the median and collided with a 1999 Mercedes Benz multi-purpose vehicle traveling south just before 8:30 p.m.

The driver of the Mercedes, a 56-year-old woman from Kea'au, and her 23-year-old daughters were taken to the Hilo Medical Center.

The driver of the Mercury was pronounced dead at 11:26 p.m. at the Hilo Medical Center.

Police say all of the occupants of the vehicles were wearing their seat belts.

Officers opened a negligent homicide investigation. The name of the woman who died has been withheld pending notification of next of kin.

Anyone with information regarding this crash is asked to call Officer Casey Cabral at 961-8889.

This is the first traffic fatality on the Big Island in 2014 compared with none at the same time last year.

PHOTOS: Fatal crash in Kea'au

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Big Island police say speed was a factor in a crash Saturday night in Kea'au that killed a 53-year-old woman from the area.

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